Can carrier



Dec. 31, 1957 N. ANDRE 2,818,171

CAN CARRIER Filed June 14, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR. N05 L E AND/P X 74, W/vMfW N. ANDRE CAN CARRIER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 14, 1956 z W 62 z/. W

7. y M w J u E J P? w w n v Q W mw p; m NE fin N %w A United States Patent@ CAN Noblel Andt= S'an.-Francisco,- .CaliL ApplicatiolLJune.14,. 195.6-, SbfiaLNb-JQLSQI 1Claima- (Gl2'206-65) This invention relatesxtol apcane carrier-. and'itpack'agei similar: to thez-vonexshown in: my 3 copending; application:v Serial No. 557,885, fil8d. aI1UaI-'y 9, 1956f= One of the objects of the present invention iszzthexpmvision=- of an: 1 economically madencan'; carriers-on r-carton ofihelabove typethatzis :adapted tozsecurely retain therein: cylindricalcans of, the :kind-having': radiallyvandc axially-r outwardly projecting a, chimeswatr; onerof their-.rendstronly; their; oposite; vends:beingesmoothnanctiintegral with: the side walls. Snchrcans;are;:norrnally drawn 7fli0l'1'l7.a'.-Sheet,. of metal, and 1 require L'CIOSiHgTODB 2 endconlyz.

Thee-carriers 1 -.or.: 'cartonsuofi :the :PITCSClItE-itYPCVUSfidTFfOI7 cans:having:chime.s,at bOIhiOfilhQllifiIldS arerusual-ly open? ended sleeves; having: side;-:walls:, formediwitlinslitsz-intos which the chimesrprojcctgfor holdingatheecans :against the cans-'havewhimes at= Dill-3 101162015 theimends'rthby will; not 'be:held by said' chimes' securely; enough to,:insurc-= against dislodgment-u It is an: object (of this-invention -10.-

provide means "in -arcane-carrierrofjthecopeneendedl typethanwill hld;ith. chlm.ed ends: Oi'ihfi; cans .inzisuchwa manner, that thercans willn-beyseeurelyheldz-inzthetcarrier; and whichemeans does not substantiallyrmodifiy :the mam nerzofpackaging the canseby COIlYBIliiQIlflla; methods: This :latter is .important: inasmuch.- asnthe'; machines gtfOl'}. automatically packaging, cans/yin, carriersof- .:the': open: ended/type whas; been: developednandn al'Qr-J .3 industry.

Other :ObjCCIS and ;-advan t:ageswill; appeandn the, de-lr scriptionandin-zthe drawingsn,

In the; drawing s,-,Fig;;.1 gisga :perspeetiyewiewaof;awai rier having cans therein.

One oftthe end; cans .is removed .-.in"zorder.tonshow construction of the carrier.

Fig. 2 is a top -plan-view of the package of Fig. 1, except thatthecarrier is filled.

Fig. .3 isa plan view of the blankrifrom which the carrier is formed.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

use-,rin; the;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of one end of a blank similar to that shown in Fig. 3 but of slightly different construction.

In detail, the blank from which the carrier or carton is formed (Fig. 3) comprises an oblong sheet of cardboard, generally designated 1, which sheet is formed with a plurality of spaced, parallel folding creases that extend transversely thereacross to enable the blank to be folded to form an open ended sleeve.

The central pair of folding creases, designated 2, define a central panel 3 on which the chimed ends of cans 4 (Fig. 4) are adapted to be positioned; as will be described later on in detail.

In using the word creases it is to be understood that the word is intended to include any suitable line of weakness to facilitate folding the blank.

2,818,171 Patented Dec. 31, 1957 At opposite sides of the eentral panel 3 and -alongnthe folding creases 2; are-panels 5 that define the opposed-side walls of the carrier when said-panels :5 are bent'to one side of panel 3 and perpendicular to the latter. creases 6 define the edges :of "panels s "that ;are remote from the folding creases 2.

Along the creases 6 am corresponding end :panels' or; portions 7, and which'cndpanels 7 are themselves-formed with-folding creases 8% equally spaced from-the freeend: edges of the sheet 11 to define corresponding:endrmarginal portions or end sections 9;-

Theseend sections :9 define theaterminatingmndrmanginalportions of the-oblongssheet, and: the endtporti'onsi 7 adjoining them are the portions of the blank thatgare'z adaptedtoextend over'the un chimedmendswofr: C3I1Si4 whenthe cans are. enclosed by the .blank;

Thesaidiend sections 9*(Fig. .3) areaof doubleathickness at the. corners of..:the blank... This,douhleathickness; at each of the corners of the blank is preferablynformedr bytproviding extension: tabs v10. integral, with the endSE-of then end sections 9 and extending; longitudinally i of: thea blank, and then afoldingsaid, tabs :againsttone-of z-thc asides; ofithe end :sectionsand gluing themto saidendsect-ionsl The;side of 'the blank showninsFig. ,1 :lSIhQfil'll'lfiBfSiidEf of-thecarrierthatwill be againstnthe cans, whcnz said, blank is folded about'said cans, and the: tabs 10 ware; glued against saidinner .side.

The blank, :1; that is :illustratediin Fig. 3iis iadaptedi to: enclose azpairof "parallel rows of-;cans, extending transversely' of the length-of'the blank.

In arpackaging operation, I118 cans are preferably=posi=- tioned;-in;;a pair ofparallel rows onithe centralpanel3,1v with their chimed ends against said :panel; Cur-ved'slits 11; are formed. in the blank'at spacedpoints yalong thecreases '2 to receive-the radiallyoutwardly projecting; chimes 123OI1" one of the ends-o the cans;when-;the-side-; walls 5 are folded, to lie in close engagement with the opposite-sontwardly facing sides of i the pair of: rows of cans. In-the-illustration, thereare four cans in,- each row. With? larger sizedcans, there-would 'usuallybe. only three -;cans .-in each row. However; the number of cans: .ineach,row may be more or-less than-four, org-three with? out changing the invention, If the-cartonwor carrier isfor eight cans in two rowsof,-;four cansin each row, then four slits 11 will be-positioned along creases 2 at points; where the chimes'of thecans would otherwise. engage the sidewalls; Instead thechimes project through the-slits; This structure initself is-not :newand. has previously i been used for the -same purpose,

Preferably thecentral panel 3 is stamp ed to-provide v tabs,13, that'project to one side of amediallineson; said" panel that is-parallel with creases}, and foldingucreases; 14ronsaidline define one side of each-tab13 so-that-the. tabs maybe folded perpendicular to panel 3.-:for.exte nding,- between the chimed ends of the cans that are on said central panel.

Each tab 13 is centrally cut out to provide a central and smaller tab 15 that normally remains planar with the panel 3 when tabs 13 are bent to extend perpendicularly to panel 3, thus leaving an opening in each tab 13 that corresponds in outline to the outline of each tab 15. This opening in each tab 13 is adapted to receive the chimes of the cans that are along opposite sides of the upstanding tabs 13. Thus the chimes 12 at the chimed ends of the cans 4 are held at opposite sides of each can against movement of the cans longitudinally of the rows thereof when the side walls 5 extend over the oppositely outwardly facing sides of the pair of rows.

The end portions 7 are adapted to be bent over the upper un-chimed ends of the cans in the two rows, one portion 7 extending over one row and the other portion extending over the other row, and the end sections 9 are Folding adapted to extend between the pair of rows at the unchimed ends of the cans.

Thus the carton or carrier becomes a rectangular open ended sleeve with the two rows of cans having the end cans thereof exposed at the ends of the sleeve, and a web extending between the rows at the un-chimed ends of the cans.

As already described, the tabs or extensions on end sections 9 being glued to said end sections at the sides next to the respective rows of cans, will provide an extra thickness at each end of each section 9. The edges 16 of the extensions 10 will engage the sides of the end cans in the rows that are next to and in engagement with the sections 9, thereby preventing the un-chimed ends of said end cans from shifting in direction toward the adjacent open ends of the sleeve or carrier that encloses the rows of cans.

If desired, other spaced extensions 17 between extensions 10 may be formed on the blank and glued against the sections 9 to provide shallow recesses 18 between each adjacent pair of tabs for receiving the sides of the cans therein.

Fig. 6 shows only the end extensions 10 since in normal shipments, as long as the end cans of the rows are held, the cans of the rows between said end cans cannot shift to any objectionable degree. The provision of additional extensions 17 as seen in Fig. 3 relieves the end extensions 10 of taking the full force of the un-chirned ends of the cans should they tend to shift, since each can is held at its un-chimed end. Fig. 5 clearly shows how the cylindrical sides of the cans are held.

The end section 9 along one of the creases 8 is stamped out to form a pair of locking tabs 19. Each of these tabs is generally of T shape with the leg of the T relatively short and connected to the blank at the end of each leg, which end terminates along the crease 8 adjacent thereto. The crease 8 preferably does not extend across the end of each leg of the T, hence, when the section 2 is bent to a position between the rows of cans, the locking tabs 19 will remain coplanar with the panels 7.

Along the crease 8 that is at the other end of blank 1 from the end carrying tabs 19, the end panels 7 are stamped out to form rectangular openings 20. If desired, the rectangular tabs 21 in each opening may remain connected with the end panel 7 along their edges 22 that are remote from the adjacent crease 8, since they in no way interfere with the locking action.

In folding the blank about the rows of cans, the end section 9 that is along openings 20 is first positioned between the un-chirned ends of the cans, and then the other section 9 is positioned between said un-chimed ends in abutting face to face relation to the first mentioned end section 9. When this operation is completed, the T-shaped tabs 19 will be over the openings 20, and as the width of the leg of each T-shaped tab is approximately equal to about the width of each opening 20, the ends of the head of the T will lap the panel having openings 20 at two opposite sides of each of said openings.

The next operation is to force the heads of the T shaped tabs through the openings 20, and as the cardboard is resilient, said heads will bow in passing through the openings and will then resume their normal shape below said openings preventing withdrawal of said heads and locking the panels 7 in coplanar position over the unchimed ends of the cans.

The carrier may then be inverted so that sections 9 are lowermost (Fig. 1) and the panels 7 will readily carry the weight of the cans without loosening.

One or more openings 23, that are similar to openings 20, may be formed in the opposite side walls 5, if desired, to receive the ends of any suitable handle for carrying the package, although such handle is not essential to the package, and no claim is made herein to a handle.

In Fig. 3 it is seen that the extensions 17 positioned at the points Where tabs 19 occur, may be cut away so that the tabs will be of single thickness and will readily yield to pass through openings 20.

I claim:

A package comprising; a pair of parallel rows of upright cylindrical cans, an oblong sheet of cardboard having a central portion extending over one of the ends of said cans and opposed side walls extending over the oppositely outwardly facing sides of said pair of rows of cans and end portions respectively extending over the other ends of the cans of each row and end sections integral with said end portions extending between the rows of cans at said other ends thereof, said central portion, side .walls, end portions, and end sections being in close engagement with said cans providing an open ended sleeve with the end cans of said rows at the open ends of said sleeve, and means on said end sections at said open ends disposed wholly within the confines of the said sleeve in engagement with the end cans of said rows obstructing movement of said end cans out of said open ends, said means being one of the sides of oppositely outwardly opening shallow recesses on the sides of said end sections facing each row with said one of the sides of said recesses being adjacent to said open ends and in engagement with said end cans, said cans having radially and axially outwardly projecting chimes at said one of the ends thereof only and slits formed in said sheet at substantially the junctures between said central portion and said side walls into which said chimes extend, one of the sides of said cans at the said other ends thereof being in engagement with the bottoms of said recesses.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,402,219 Wesselrnan June 18, 1946 2,425,140 Allen Aug. 5, 1947 2,522,950 Keith Sept. 19, 1950 2,765,073 Murray Oct. 2, 1956 

